Triple BIO^TM

• Overview and Justification
• Areas of Focus
• Outcomes and Expected Impacts
• Examples of Triple BIO

 

Overview and Justification

Washington’s agricultural and natural resource industries face increasing pressure from rising energy and input prices, increasing global competition, global climate change, heightened demand for environmental responsibility, and declining rural income relative to urban populations. In this difficult context, our farmers are being called upon to produce energy in addition to food and fiber, while also providing environmental services such as clean air and water and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Triple BIO^TM is a comprehensive program to address all of these competing interests without compromising the primary goal of improved agricultural sustainability in Washington State. Triple BIO^TM is the integration of new and existing efforts at WSU (such as the BIOAg^TM Program, the Climate Friendly Farming^TM Project, Extension Energy Program, and the Center for Bioproducts and Bioenergy) targeted at improving the resiliency and sustainability of Washington’s farms and rural communities by providing targeted research, education, extension/technology transfer, and technology demonstration in the areas of biologically intensive agriculture and organic farming, bioenergy, and bioproducts.

National and state efforts to support the emergence of a bioeconomy include the National Ag Energy Working Group’s 25 X 25 Campaign (25% of US energy produced on farms by 2025), the US Department of Energy’s goals for biomass utilization, and the likely passage of the Renewable Fuels Standard and Energy Freedom Program / Board legislation in Washington State. The Triple BIO^TM approach will ensure that Washington’s farmers have the resources to sustainably produce food and energy. Triple BIO^TM will also develop biological substitutes for non-renewable resources, add value to existing crops and biomass, reduce negative environmental impacts through organic waste utilization and improved environmental management, and create economic opportunity in rural Washington through investment in biorefineries.

Our Triple BIO^TM Program has three integrated components: BIOAg^TM (Biologically Intensive Agriculture and Organic Farming), BIOproducts, and BIOenergy.

• BIOAg^TM is a suite of practices and technologies that capitalize on ecological processes to maximize resource conservation and resource-use efficiency in the production of food, fiber, and energy.
• BIOproducts are chemicals (industrial and fine), fuel, materials, and other non-food products derived from biomass.
• BIOenergy is energy derived from renewable biomass and other biological materials, including liquid fuels, power, biogas, heat, and products that offset fossil energy feedstocks.

 

Areas of Focus

Triple BIO^TM currently has three focus areas, each requiring new and augmented personnel and operating resources for research, education, extension/technology transfer, and demonstration.

1. Crop / Biomass Production and Environmental Performance
This focus area specifically targets crop development for existing and new crops across the state, using the best available science without reliance on genetic modification of crops. In particular, we will seek improvements in the design and efficiency of crop / biomass production systems, practices, and technologies, such as precision agriculture, direct-seeding, biological pest control, and organic farming. Our research will also examine the utilization of biomass as a substitute for non-renewable inputs in crop / biomass production. Finally, we will evaluate the ecological and economic impacts of alternative cropping and biomass production systems,

2. Biomass Utilization, Bioprocessing, and Bioenergy Production
This focus area includes utilization of crops, organic wastes, and other biomass for energy production and bioproducts; development of specialty, high-value products from biomass; developing and refining conversion technology for utilizing Washington’s highly-varied biomass resources; and evaluation of biomass products for industrial uses.

3. Socio-Economic Analysis, Value-Added Extension / Technology Transfer, Marketing
This focus area includes enterprise budgeting and firm-level financial analyses; regional input:output modeling for bioindustries; social cost:benefit analyses for new technologies; lifecycle analyses for new energy and bioproducts; and technology transfer, value-added, and marketing assistance to producers and bioindustries.

 

Outcomes and Expected Impact

Triple BIO^TM brings together a dynamic team of researchers and educators whose work crosses disciplinary boundaries with a holistic problem-solving approach to enable Washington’s agricultural and natural resource industries to maximize the value of our vast agricultural and biological resources. Triple BIO^TM will improve the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural and natural resource management, add value to agricultural and forestry production, and contribute significantly to the production of energy for the region. It will provide solutions to environmental problems, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural production and improving air and water quality by converting organic wastes to energy and refined products. The Triple BIO^TM Program will move our state in the direction of sustainable agricultural production, improved natural resource management, and energy independence. It will help stabilize the farm sector, which has positive economic and environmental impacts on rural communities and the natural resource base embodied in the state’s productive land base. Triple BIO^TM will enhance WSU’s competitiveness for federal research and education funding and give students interested in biologically intensive agriculture and organic farming, bioenergy, and bioproducts / bioprocessing the critical experience and skills needed to be leaders in our future bioeconomy. Finally, Triple BIO^TM will attract students, faculty, growers, and industries who wish to be leaders in the frontiers of the biosciences to our state.

 

Examples of targeted Triple BIO^TM research, extension, and technology demonstration:

• WSU activities advancing anaerobic digestion of animal manures are working to reduce capital costs for the physical plant, develop new value-added co-products, improve farm nutrient management, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and odors, and improve water quality. To date, a $3 million dollar investment in targeted research, extension, and technology demonstration at WSU is working to make anaerobic digestion a financially feasible waste management technology for at least 100,000 dairy cows in Washington State.
• WSU researchers will develop and evaluate cropping systems, biomass processing technology, and new value-added products to enable farmers, industry, and rural communities to capitalize on the opportunity provided by the state’s new Renewable Fuels Standard and Energy Freedom legislation.
• Develop cost-effective strategies for utilizing biological sources of nitrogen in place of increasingly costly synthetic fertilizers; for biological control of pests to enable organic crop production to expand to meet the growing market demand; for converting organic wastes from agriculture into high-value commercial, industrial, and nutraceutical products (such as chitosan from cull potatoes and nisin from cheese whey); and for developing new, value-added uses for existing crops and agricultural products.
  

 

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Updated April 12, 2006